The characters of the manga series Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha:
Inari Fushimi
Voiced by: Naomi Ozora
The main protagonist of the story. A middle school student who can easily befriend others, Inari has always felt a special connection to the temple shrine near her home. When she rescues a fox spirit from slipping into the river, the goddess Uka-no-Mitami-no-Kami grants her a single wish. And when that doesn't work out as planned, she gains Uka's shapeshifting ability. Despite her newfound power, Inari wants to continue living as a normal human being and really only wants to keep her power so she can keep seeing Uka. But using her shapeshifting powers can be rather tempting when it comes to her crush, her classmate Kouji Tanbabashi.
- A-Cup Angst: When compared to Sanjou and Sumizome.
- All Love Is Unrequited: She has a crush on Tanbabashi, who she sees confessing to their fellow classmate Akemi Sumizome. Subverted as he was just asking her to be the manager for the basketball team, and Tanbabashi reciprocate her affections.
- All-Loving Hero: A lot of her angst comes from legitimately wanting everyone in her life to be happy, which at times requires her to sacrifice her own happiness. She even gives up her powers, and the ability to talk with Uka and Kon, to save some bullies after her anger caused her divine power to try and kill them.
- Her feelings for Minami Moriyama, her Love Rival, constantly prove this, and at one point becomes very distraught when her friends think Moriyama might be bullying her by stealing her valentines gift to Tanbabashi, something Inari strongly states as impossible.
- Be Careful What You Wish For/I Just Want to Be You: What kicks off the plot is her wish to be Sumizome, Tanbabashi's crush.
- Book Dumb: One of the hints that the dream world she enters in Amaterasu's mirror is fake is when she starts acing all her tests.
- Brought Down to Normal: When she relinquishes her power back to Uka. Subverted when she re-develops her power on her own.
- Dogged Nice Girl: For Tanbabashi.
- Genki Girl: This girl goes at full throttle at pretty much all the time.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Much to her horror and often used as a form of self-deprecation—
- She is envious of Sumizome, the object of Tanbabashi's affections.
- When she receives a love letter from a girl named Minami Moriyama to deliver to Tanbabashi, she unconsciously uses her power to discard it.
- I Just Want to Be Normal: Ultimately, this is what she wants. She only really keeps her powers so she can continue being friends with Uka.
- Idiot Hero: Played straight and subverted as she is always thinking about the happiness of her friends, family, and her rivals.
- Kid Hero: Sadly she tries to solve very adult problems the way a kid would.
- Lotus-Eater Machine: Ends up in one as part of a test in the God world but manages to free herself after realizing three things. The first is that a Tanbabshi that is completely devoted to her isn't the Tanbabashi she loves, the second is that she may wish Sanjo and Sumizome happiness but realizes that she doesn't really understand their relationship and its for them to decide, and lastly a world without Uka-sama isn't one she wishes to live in.
- Love Confession:
- Confesses her feelings for Tanbabashi in Sumizome's body. She later fixes this by shapeshifting into her again to add "as friends", though she clearly feels bad about it (since Tanbabashi seems to like Sumizome and she doesn't know if Sumizome feels mutually).
- She later confesses to Tanbabashi in the guise of Minami Moriyama because she unconsciously used her powers to discard the latter's love letter. To make up for it, and to still have the girl's feelings reach Tanbabashi, she confesses in Moriyama's place.
- Magnetic Hero: She loves making friends and does her utmost to become friends even with her love rivals. The manga takes a noticeably darker feel when Inari has to go away for a week.
- Meaningful Name: She is named after the Fushimi Inari Taisha
in Kyoto, which is also the main location of the series. - Not What It Looks Like: Her interactions with Toshi in school cause Tanbabashi's friends to think they're dating. They're not.
- Official Couple: With Tanbabashi.
- Ordinary Middle School Student
- Poor Communication Kills: Because she chooses not to confide in Tanbabashi due to her goddess training, it is implied Tanbabashi's starting to think she may not trust him or like him romantically, deciding to keep his distance from her.
- Potty Emergency: Gets a case of diarrhea after having three glasses of milk one morning.
- Power at a Price: Frequent use her abilities puts a strain on Uka.
- The Rival: Subverted with Sumizome and played straight with Minami Moriyama.
- Shapeshifting: Can shapeshift into any human so long as she has a vague image of them. And when she tries, she can also shapeshift into Uka.
- Shipper on Deck:
- She quickly becomes one for Touka and Uka once she realizes they have feelings for each other.
- She fully supports Sumizome's becoming friends with Sanjou long before she finds out Sumizome is in love with Sanjou.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: She loves Tanbabashi because he's hardworking, always putting in his utmost effort, and is devoted to his family.
- Smitten Teenage Girl
- Twice Shy: With Tanbabashi.
- Unwanted Harem: Thanks to harboring a portion of Uka's power, rejected gods who want to marry Uka turn to her as the next best thing.
Uka-no-Mitami-no-Kami
Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima
The fox goddess who resides in the temple that Inari regularly visits, Uka sets off the story by granting Inari's wish to become Sumizome and then bestowing her shapeshifting ability to allow Inari to return to her original form. She refuses to return to the Tamakagahara and would rather spend her time playing video games, obsessing over 2-D fictional men, and watching humans.
- Arranged Marriage: Her parents, the goddess Amaterasu, and all of the gods seem content in trying to get her to attend a marriage meeting and marry her off to a god, though gods really just want to marry her for her high rank rather than for love.
- Become a Real Boy: She is envious of humans and would like to become human herself.
- Cool Big Sis: To Inari. Effectively Cool Big Sister-In-Law by the end of the series.
- Everyone Can See It: Between Touka and her.
- Gamer Chick: The second time Inari meets her, she's in the midst of a Dating Sim. After an awkward pause, the console and TV transform into foxes and she makes a futile attempt to pretend she wasn't doing anything odd. Her mother even gets her to come home for the arranged dates by threatening to get rid of the games she left there.
- Hidden Buxom: She has a buxom figure. but it's immediately obvious due to always wearing thick robes.
- Hikikomori: Rarely leaves the temple, refuses to return to the Heavens, and would rather spend her time playing video games.
- Humanity Is Infectious: Her time spent in the human world has made her more human, causing Toshi to speculate that she wants to be a human.
- Intrigued by Humanity: To the point that she wishes she was human. In Chapter 43, she's depowered and becomes one involuntarily.
- Invisible to Normals: Which is why she treasures her friendship with Inari and eventually Touka so much.
- Letting Her Hair Down: She pulls this style after she gives Touka one of her hair ribbons as a token until she returns.
- Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: In video games, for starters. And then she falls for a human...
- Love Hurts: Just when Uka is starting to recognize her feelings for Touka and is excited at the prospect of making him Valentine's chocolates... one of the prayers she looks over in the temple is a girl who has a her crush on Touka, causing her a great deal of anguish. Subverted in that she was more upset that Touka was going through so much problems with his exams and hadn't told her rather than out of fear of a potential love rival.
- Manchild: Can come across as this.
- Mayfly–December Romance: Between Touka and her. They first met when Touka was younger than Inari is now.
- Nice Girl: She is benevolent and often goes out of her way to help Inari or to do things for her sake.
- Oblivious to Love: Has yet to realize that all of Touka's visits to the temple (post-Inari giving up her powers) and his recent attempts to converse with her are his way of wanting to express his feelings for her and/or figuring out of she feels mutually. She just thinks he visits to pray to the gods to get better grades. She ends up finding out about Touka's feelings in Chapter 40 after he impulsively confesses to her.
- Pervert Revenge Mode: Is a constant offender of this towards Toshi and occasionally Touka.
- Supernatural Gold Eyes: Naturally, given that she is a fox goddess.
- Tsundere: According to Toshi. She's a Type B.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: With Touka.
- Unwanted Harem: She is fully aware that gods only want to marry her so they can get a higher rank.
- Vague Age: Given that she's a goddess.
Touka Fushimi
Voiced by: Yoji Ueda
Inari's older brother, Touka has spiritual power and is able to see the gods, but this ability has made him fear gods since he had been a child. As a result he is hostile towards the goddess Uka, but after getting pulled along into playing video games with her one too many and learning more about the goddess, Touka's hostility towards Uka wanes and a different tension begins to increase.
- Aloof Older Brother: Tries to be this.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Inverted.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Uka.
- Berserk Button:
- He does not have eighth grader sickness. Even when he's in seventh grade. Even when no one says it at all.
- He reacts negatively whenever it concerns Inari going to the shrine temple or getting a little too close to Uka and/or the gods.
- Big Brother Instinct: He is protective of Inari when it's related to Uka or the spirits/gods, but he eventually warms up to Uka.
- Butt-Monkey
- Cannot Spit It Out: As of recent chapters, he seems to be trying. But either he's interrupted or Uka misunderstands. He confesses in Chapter 40.
- Et Tu, Brute?: Does not react well when he finds out Uka lied to him about bestowing her powers onto Inari, though he gets over it.
- Everyone Can See It: Between Uka and him.
- Hair-Trigger Temper
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold
- Locked Out of the Loop: At first.
- Manchild: A lot of people call him this for thinking and acting like someone out of a manga.
- Mayfly–December Romance: Between Uka and him.
- Not What It Looks Like: After Inari shapeshifts into Uka and calls off her marriage meeting because she's in love with a human, everyone thinks it's him.
- Official Couple: With Uka.
- Only Sane Man
- She Is Not My Girlfriend: No, he doesn't want to date Uka. And no, he's not trying to mess up her marriage meeting.
- Tsundere: Type A.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: With Uka.
Kouji Tanbabashi
Voiced by: Hiroshi Okamoto
Kouji Tanbabashi is Inari's classmate and love interest. A member of the basketball team, he is hardworking and strongly cares about his family. Just when Inari works up the courage to confess to him, she witnesses Tanbabashi confessing to Akemi Sumizome.
- Book Dumb
- Chick Magnet
- Disappeared Dad: His father died shortly after his younger brother was born.
- Dogged Nice Guy: Seemingly, for Sumizome. Played straight with Inari.
- Hidden Depths: He cares about his family and has supported his mother ever since his father died. Naturally this results in a great amount of mixed feelings and stress when he discovers his mother has been seeing someone and might remarry.
- Everyone Can See It: Subverted. His friends thinks he's crushing on Sumizome when he has feelings for Inari.
- Love Epiphany: Realizes he's in love with Inari after getting confessed to by Inari in Momoyama's guise (Inari does this to make up for unconsciously using her powers to discard Momoyama's love letter to Tanbabashi out of jealousy).
- Love Interest
- Nice Guy
- Not What It Looks Like: All of his friends think he's into Sumizome until he confesses that Inari is who he's interested in.
- Oblivious to Love: Doesn't notice Inari has feelings for him and is oblivious towards the attention of other girls.
- Official Couple: With Inari.
- Poor Communication Kills: After he starts dating Inari, he becomes incredibly self-conscious and embarrassed around her. Unfortunately this comes across to Inari that Tanbabashi is regretting his decision.
- Secret-Keeper: He figures out that Inari has goddess/shapeshifting powers in Chapter 36.
- Twice Shy: With Inari, once he develops feelings for her.
Akemi Sumizome
Voiced by: Inori Minase
School idol and Inari's classmate, Akemi Sumizome is the object of affection for many boys in Inari's school—including Tanbabashi. Though she is Inari's love rival, Inari befriends Sumizome. She develops feelings for Keiko Sanjou.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Starts to think her feelings for Sanjou is this. As of recent chapters, it may very well be.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Is none to pleased at Tanebashi refusal to go to the infirmary after being hit in the face with a basketball and literally drags him back after he escapes.
- Cram School: Attends this out of her parents' wishes, though it's clear she doesn't want to and feels pressured by their expectations.
- Cute Sports Club Manager: For the basketball team.
- Dogged Nice Girl: For Sanjou.
- Dude Magnet: Not that she notices.
- Gayngst: She starts to wonder if she should give up on Sanjou while volunteering at a nursery because the mothers there talk about what a great mother she would make.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Her jealousy towards Inari stems from the latter's closeness to Sanjou.
- I Just Want to Be You: She is envious of Inari and wants to be more like her.
- Important Haircut: In Chapter 38, her hair is cut short after saving Inari's Valentine's gifts from getting burnt in a furnace. It reflects her character growth as she feels unburdened from her unrequited love for Sanjou, accepting that while her feelings aren't returned, she won't regret having these feelings.
- Incompatible Orientation: Many boys try and get close to her but not only does she not notice it is all but stated she is gay. She herself suffers this from Sanjou, though Sanjou is more asexual then heterosexual.
- The Ingenue: To the point that when a guy asks her to go out with him, her response is: "Where should I accompany you?"
- Love Confession: She rejects the captain of the basketball team by confessing she's in love with in Sanjou... who overhears them.
- Love Hurts: Fully aware that she probably has no hopes of having her love fulfilled and that even if it were there would be other problems.
- Nice Girl: She really is an incredibly nice girl, just... just don't piss her off.
- Oblivious to Love: She doesn't notice the dozens of guys who have crushes on her, even when a guy flat-out confesses to her. It's only when the interest becomes extremely blatant that even she has to notice it that she proceeds to shy away. And thanks to Inari explaining to her that she was getting confessed, she's probably not oblivious to the captain of the basketball team after he confessed to her in Chapter 29.
- Obliviously Beautiful
- Parental Abandonment: Both of her parents are always working, so she doesn't spend as much time with them as she would like.
- Rescue Romance: Develops feelings for Sanjou after the latter rescues her from Toshi.
- The Rival: Subverted. Inari and her friends think she is Inari's love rival for Tanbabashi, but she doesn't like him romantically at all.
- School Idol
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Girly Girl to Sanjou's Tomboy.
- Unwanted Harem: Not that she really notices.
- Unwitting Muggle Friend
Keiko Sanjou
Voiced by: Kumiko Ikebe
Keiko Sanjou is Inari's childhood friend. Tomboyish and lazy, she will only do things if Inari is there. Sumizome has a crush on her.
- Boyish Short Hair
- Celibate Heroine: She doesn't seem to be romantically interested in anyone. Poor Sumizome.
- Childhood Friend: With Inari.
- Declaration of Protection: Towards Inari, the first girl she had ever been friends with.
- Curtains Match the Window
- Lazy Bum
- Oblivious to Love: Doesn't seem to notice Sumizome's in love with her. Until Chapter 33.
- Rescue Romance: Sumizome develops feelings for her after she rescues her from Toshi.
- Maybe Ever After: She resolves to become friends with Sumizome. This is telling as she would often state that her reasoning for not accepting Sumizome's feeling was because she hardly knew her.
- Those Two Guys: With Maru until Sumizome joins the trio.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Tomboy to Sumizome's Girly Girl.
- Unwitting Muggle Friend
Ootoshi-no-Kami
Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu
Uka's older brother, Toshi disguses himself as a transfer student to investigate Inari, or "the human who stole [his] little sister's powers". Obsessed with Uka to the point of incestuous implications, he yearns to be reunited with her, but she's just not interested.
- Accidental Pervert: Nearly follow Inari into the bathroom to get her to realize why he's important to the story. A couple of girls spot him and beat him up, stating that he may be cool, but he's still a pervert.
- Amusing Injuries
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: In Chapter 36, he starts off confronting Touka over the latter's relationship Uka with Uka's status as a goddess and the possibility of Uka getting punished by Amaterasu if their mother discovered Uka's participation in human affairs (e.g. Valentine's Day), ending it with, "Waah! You lied about helping mediate our relationship! You meanie!"
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Inverted.
- Berserk Button: Touka or any male gods trying to marry Uka will instantaneously provoke him.
- Big Brother Instinct: A factor in his protectiveness over Uka, and his subsequent hostility towards Touka (and Touka's growing relationship with Uka), in recent chapters is due to realizing Uka's desire is to become a human herself. Thus, he views Touka as a hindrance to both his own relationship with Uka and her duties as a goddess.
- Brother–Sister Incest: One-sided and Played for Laughs.
- Butt-Monkey
- The Casanova/Casanova Wannabe: Flirts with any beauty that crosses his path, but will more often than not get beaten for it.
- Curtains Match the Window
- Distracted by the Sexy: In the midst of trying to protect Inari from other gods, a few candid photos of a bathing Uka cause him to flee the scene.
- The Glomp: Does this to Uka when he's finally able to touch her. She responds in kind... by tying him to a lamp post and leaving him there indefinitely.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Towards Touka's closeness to Uka.
- Hopeless Suitor
- Invisible to Normals
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He may be a pervert with an unwanted habit of stalking, but he does try to protect Inari from other gods.
- Manchild
- Moment Killer: He is a constant offender to Touka and Uka. The one moment Touka actually wants him around to intervene (as Touka accidentally confessed to Uka and Uka's been reacting with awkwardness), he's not there.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy
- My Sister Is Off-Limits: Type 6. He doesn't want Touka or any marriage suitors near his sister because as far as he's concerned, she's his.
- New Transfer Student: His human alter-ego.
- Shapeshifting: He reveals the importance of his debut by transforming into Inari.
- Stalker with a Crush: For Uka especially and any beautiful woman that crosses his path.
